Livingstone, 4 December 2017:The 5th High-Level Seminar on Peace and Security in Africa: “Assisting Incoming African Members on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in preparing to address peace and security issues of concern to Africa” has started today.

The High-Level Seminar brings together, the incoming African Members of the UN Security Council (A3), namely, Cote d’ Ivoire and Equatorial Guinea; the sitting A3 Member, namely, Ethiopia; the outgoing A3 Members, namely, Egypt and Senegal; as well as Member States of the PSC, and Angola in its capacity as a Friend of the Seminar. Special Representatives/Envoys of the Chairperson of the Commission, representative of the United Nations, AU Partners and staff from the AU Commission, including the AU Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations, in New York, are also attending the High-Level Seminar.

The main objective of the High-Level Seminar is to prepare the incoming A3 Members to effectively articulate, defend and promote common African positions as reflected in the decisions of the PSC, the AU Assembly and other relevant AU decision making organs, in the decision-making process of the UNSC on peace and security issues of interest and concern to Africa.

The opening session of the High-Level Seminar was marked by statements made by Her Honour, Mrs. Inonge M. Wina the Vice-President of the Republic of Zambia; the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Congo, Mr. Jean-Claude Gakosso, in his capacity as the Chairperson of the PSC for the month of December 2017; the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Zambia, Mr. Harry Kalaba; the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, H.E. Ambassador Smail Chergui and the Head of the United Nations Office to the African Union, H.E. Under-Secretary General Haile Menkerios.

All key note speakers laid emphasis on the need for the incoming A3 Members to continue to build on the foundation, momentum and best practices of the outgoing Members and to continue to collectively defend and promote the common African positions within the decision-making process of the UN Security Council on peace and security issues of concern to Africa. They commended the Government and people of the Republic of Zambia for hosting the 5th High-Level Seminar and the Government of Algeria for hosting the previous four High-Level Seminars.

The High-Level Seminar will be an opportunity for participants to review the status of implementation of the conclusions of the previous four High Level Seminars, particularly the 4th High Level Seminar, held in Oran, Algeria, in December 2016. The Seminar will also receive updates on the various conflict and crisis situations, as well as thematic issues on which, both, the PSC and the UNSC are seized of.

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